Wednesday 25 Feb 2015

February 25: Philippians 3:12-16

Key Verse: Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead

Devotion:
One thing the apostle learned was that there was a whole lot more to learn about Christ and about God. No matter how much of the law he knew from his past and no matter how much he learned since getting to know God, there was so much more to learn still. Nothing from his past was going to be able to stop him because Christ had set him free and Christ alone was his new strength. The only way forward was to embrace all that God was setting before him so he would have a clear path to walk.

When God calls us to do something it is not going to be without problem. If we jump up ahead of ourselves we will find that the direction we go off in may not be the same direction that God has asked us to go. Listening to God every step of the way and allowing Him to direct you is the only thing keeping you going in the right direction! Does this mean I am? No, I make mistakes just like many other people. I don’t listen to God just like many others too. The apostle had issues with listening until God made it plain and clear! Do you want God to have to be brutally honest with you?

I would rather try and listen so I can have a good relationship with God. I certainly don’t want to intentionally upset Him just because I want my own way; but I know that there will come a time when I do make mistakes and when I do I will try to remember to come back to God asking forgiveness.

When we do listen we find out just how much God loves what we can do. When we do obey God we find out how much more He wants to share His love with us, not as a slave-driver thrusting His way forward with slaves, but as a loving Father encourages us forward to do what is right. When our loving Father sees how we want to please Him, He rewards us in ways we don’t expect.

Points to Ponder:
DO you expect the expected?

Why not trust God for the unexpected?